Late August, Year 52 of the Hidden Leaf.
Just two days remained until the Shinobi Mini 4WD Grand Prix hosted by Sunagakure. As the hidden village boasting the most elite ninja across the shinobi world—
—of course Konoha was the first to arrive.
Hands stuffed in his pockets, Kakashi stared lazily at the gates of Sunagakure. Behind him followed a few Root ninja. He frowned slightly, but after a moment, his expression returned to its usual blankness.
Gone?
He wasn't surprised Root had tailed them. After all, both the Jinchūriki and the Uchiha clan had left the village this time. Naturally, the higher-ups wouldn't be at ease.
From the corner of his eye, his dead-fish gaze glanced at Uchiha Shisui, who wore his usual warm, serene smile.
He probably noticed it too.
Not that it mattered. Even if they'd noticed, they had to act like they hadn't.
The Uchiha clan… must be feeling the pressure.
Kakashi sighed quietly and shook his head, then turned to his companions—Guy, decked out in full green spandex as always, and Naruto, who had finally changed into normal clothes.
In his typical lazy tone, Kakashi said, "Let's go."
Hopefully nothing goes wrong…
Meanwhile—
"Come, come!"
Rasa himself was hosting their most important business partner—Shimura Danzō.
With a smile, he gestured politely. "Please, have a seat."
"No need for pleasantries," Danzō replied bluntly. "Part of this visit is official, but the other part… is that 'good stuff' you mentioned."
As always, Danzō got straight to the point. "What's the product? Let me see it."
"No rush," Rasa said smoothly, not matching his pace. Business was war. Whether as a shinobi or a merchant, you could never let the other side control the tempo—especially when that "other side" was Danzō.
He wasn't the same as he'd been.
Last month, when Sunagakure needed to stockpile enough food for the festival, they'd bought meat and grain from Danzō—who now ran the Land of Fire's largest agricultural merchant network.
Back then, he'd even bargained over the price.
Sure, it was still cheaper than collecting it themselves, and the bulk price was reasonable, but it clearly showed Danzō had evolved—no longer the generous, don't-ask-questions shadow leader of old.
There were even rumors that Danzō had assembled procurement caravans, sending them out regularly to buy grain and meat directly from rural areas, then selling it back to Sunagakure at a profit.
Rasa clapped his hands, and the servants entered with tray after tray of food, each dish prepared with care.
This time, unlike last time, he wasn't trying to scam anyone. These were genuine gourmet dishes—perfectly cooked and mouthwatering. As soon as the lids were lifted, the aroma filled the entire room.
"Here, try this steamed pork belly," Rasa said cheerfully. "I managed to snag it using a rare gourmet card. Paired with a farm-raised pig from the Land of Fire—it's really something."
"???"
Gourmet card?
Danzō eyed the enthusiastic Kazekage with confusion but didn't say anything. He picked up his chopsticks and took a small bite.
At this point, he wasn't afraid of being poisoned. There was no need.
Their collaboration had been profitable. If anything happened to him here, it would ruin Sunagakure's entire business future.
He examined the dish: thin layers of golden-brown pork belly. He furrowed his brow, took a bite—then his eyes widened.
"Tender and aromatic, rich but not greasy... the alternating layers of fat and lean meat, so delicate and flavorful…!"
He quickly composed himself again, returning to a flat expression. "Quite good. A rare delicacy."
He was Konoha's shadow—he couldn't lose face over a plate of meat.
"Told you it's good!" Rasa beamed, clearly pleased. He pointed to another dish. "And this—stir-fried pig intestine. Haha, you look hesitant. I know the name sounds gross, but the flavor is amazing. Come on, try this one too—and this one…"
At Rasa's insistence, Danzō tried each dish in turn.
"Impressive. Never expected pig intestine could be so palatable."
"Braised pork knuckle—succulent without being heavy."
"Cold pig ear salad? Haha! With some sake, this would be perfect. Delicious."
"You want sake? Bring the wine! This one was specially imported from the Land of Fire."
"Imported from the Fire Country? If you ever need more of this, buy it from me next time. I guarantee I can get it for much less than you did."
"Of course, of course!"
As the courses continued, Danzō gradually loosened up. He wiped his mouth with a towel handed over by a server, feeling satisfied. Then he looked at Rasa's still-calculating, merchant-like smile.
After a moment's silence:
"This... is the 'good stuff' you were talking about?"
"Hah… Konoha's greatest ninja, always silently guarding the village—never seeking fame or profit. Truly admirable, Lord Danzō~" Rasa sighed dramatically. "To think you'd realize it just from a few dishes."
"These aren't just any dishes," Danzō replied, clearly enjoying the flattery. He nodded. "Enough. Let's talk business. Are you offering a franchise model, or selling the recipe outright?"
"Of course, we'll collaborate," Rasa replied with a smile. "I'll provide the chefs and the recipe. All you need to do is supply the venue."
"What if I want to learn the recipe myself?"
"Up to you. But keep in mind—these dishes rely on carefully blended spices. Without them, the taste won't be the same."
Rasa took a sip of wine and frowned slightly.
I said I don't drink, why did they pour it for me? He was a good man who didn't drink or gamble~
He put down the cup and looked across at Danzō, who had furrowed his brows and appeared deep in thought.
"Thirty-seventy split," Rasa proposed. "Sunagakure will handle the service, collection, and logistics. The rest is yours."
Super Gourmet Seasoning (Doraemon Edition): Just a sprinkle transforms any meal into gourmet-level flavor.
This stuff came from a three-star gacha pool.
After years of careful micro-spending, Rasa had finally reached the three-star tier.
As for the seasoning—it was actually fairly common among three-star items. He had once considered reproducing it, even handed samples to Ebizo's research institute. But so far, they'd made zero progress.
So, at least for now, he wasn't worried about anyone cracking the formula.
"Sixty-forty. No need for fifty-fifty—I'll take 40%." Danzō frowned, then picked up his wine glass and downed it. "But all chefs must be civilians. And within Konoha, they must operate under Root surveillance."
"Of course~" Rasa stood with a smile and extended his right hand. "Then… pleasure doing business."
"Pleasure doing business." Danzō, already well-practiced, shook hands and returned the smile—albeit a fake one.
"In that case, if there's nothing else—"
"No, no." Rasa's smile deepened, eyes narrowing. "That was only the first item. There's one more good stuff—but for that, I'll need you to come out shopping with me."